Time After Time
by prettyinpinkgal
Summary: Oneshots and drabbles involving the characters of Dengeki Daisy. Mainly KurosakixTeru.
1. Gaze

**Prettyinpinkgal: Now, I had promised myself. I had sworn I wouldn't write any more stories. So what am I doing? Writing another story. Go figure. I think this will just be a series of short oneshots or drabbles, though, and I'm just dying to write something right now, so here I go!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy. The title comes from the song.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Gaze**

Teru looked up at the janitor, who was preoccupied with gambling on his laptop.

Oftentimes, he was looking at her, she now realized; he looked at her with a soft, longing gaze when he thought she wasn't looking.

Other times, his eyes were filled with a protectiveness which rivaled a brother's.

She wondered how well Daisy had known her brother--how long Kurosaki had known her brother, she amended. It was confusing; she loved Kurosaki in a romantic sense, but for so long she had loved Daisy like she loved her older brother. It was strange, getting used to it.

But she felt she could guess what his feelings were, or at least eliminate the wrong answers.

He didn't hate her, or even dislike her. After all, he must have known Kurebayashi Teru was the same Kurebayashi Teru whom he had been emailing. He forced her to be his slave, knowing what her name was. Yet he did not hesitate to drag her out of class that first day they met. Perhaps he had wanted to meet her too?

He didn't think of her as a brother. Teru knew her late brother would have asked someone to be a comfort to his heartbroken sister, and if Riko-sensei meant what she said, that Teru was like a little sister to her because of her relationship with Teru's brother, then she would have been the perfect candidate to be with Teru during that difficult time. But no--Kurosaki was chosen instead. What was the reason? Teru wasn't sure. But he must have had some other feeling for her than being a sibling.

He didn't think of her as someone to be pitied. To be sure, he felt bad for her. Anyone would. On the rainy days, Teru felt bad for herself. But if he thought of her as a charity case, he didn't act like it at all. He was much too violent, too crude, to fit that role.

He didn't think of her as a friend. If he did, Kurosaki should have told her from the start that he was Daisy so that she could be his friend instead of him just being hers....This deduction, however, made Teru snicker a bit, earning a curious glance from Kurosaki. After all, Kurosaki hardly seemed the type to be so sweet.

He didn't think of her as a guy thinks of a girl. She was painfully aware that this was most likely true. There was a chance, but it seemed so small. It was as she had said on countless occasions: He was a man, an adult. She was some shrimpy high school girl. It was stupid. It was borderline creepy, in fact, if she thought about the possibility of him loving her.

But she wanted him to.

Every time he rescued her, every time he laughed at her, every time he held her, every time he emailed her, every time he so much as looked her way, she felt that hope bubble up in her chest.

But then she would quell it, stifle it, smash it to bits. After all, with a life like hers, she was sensible. She knew the chances were slim, despite her friends' protests.

But for this brief meeting of their eyes, she could convey all that she wished, all that she felt, and hoped he'd send her the same message.

However, he instead asked, "What's with you? Get back to work. You had a five-minute break just a little while ago."

To which she replied, with a longsuffering sigh and an amused, warm smile, "Go bald, Kurosaki."


	2. Swimsuit

**Prettyinpinkgal: Because really, swimsuit shopping would have been an adorable scene, but it was sadly only briefly mentioned. This is brief as well and not all that romantic, but this is just meant to be a "whatever comes to mind" sort of collection, nothing that thought out.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy. The title comes from the song.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Swimsuit**

Kurosaki swore to himself he would never allow Teru to wear that middle school uniform again. Ignoring the knowing smiles of the women who worked at the store, he drug Teru over to one of them.

"Hey, this brat here needs a swimsuit. Can you help her out?"

The store clerk knew what the most popular swimsuits were, and so she led them to the bikinis.

"You're fired," was Kurosaki's automatic statement after she showed Teru a skimpy uniform, a blank but decisive look on his face as he said it. Ignoring the scowl on the woman's face as she left, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

_One-piece? _he wondered; despite his expression, inside he felt his composure slipping away. _Ugh, but then I'd really feel like a lolicon. But then if I went with bikini, I'd be a pervert! Why the heck didn't I ask Riko to do this?_

_...Oh. Right. Because she'd definitely get Teru to buy something provocative._

"Kurosaki?" asked the subject of his despair. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine," he said, a dark look and a pathetic laugh slipping from his lips, which were shaped into a tight smile as he looked away from her. "Just fine."

"Okay..." she said, sounding unconvinced. "Oh! What about this one?!"

He glanced over and saw the two-piece. It wasn't a bikini, but it didn't make her seem younger. Perfect.

"How much?" he demanded, which made Teru wonder why he sounded so excited.


	3. Gentle

**Prettyinpinkgal: Thanks for the reviews! I am taking requests for topics to write about, so send me a phrase or a word in a review and I will see if I can work it into a oneshot/drabble! (This is also a ploy to try and get reviews) I think this is my first time doing a collection of oneshots, so I hope you enjoy this story as well!**

**An alternative title for this story would be "DAISY".**

**I would like to dedicate "Gentle" to cuttie-shika, who encouraged me to write this. I probably still would be agonizing on how to pull this off if it wasn't for you, so thanks!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy. The title comes from the song.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Gentle**

As Teru tended the garden one day, Kurosaki looked up from his game of mahjong. _Still caring for those stupid daisies, _he thought, watching as she tenderly watered them.

But really, he was the stupidest Daisy of them all.

He knew she loved him. He knew he loved her---so, so much.

Yet the guilt held him back.

He had no right, he knew, to indulge in this desire--no, this _need_--to be by her side, to hold her small frame, to claim that she was _his_. He could only watch her--so close, yet so far--and make sure she was safe. To make sure she was happy.

During these gentle times, when no one was chasing Teru for her cell phone, and the days were sunny and peaceful, he couldn't hold back these thoughts. There was nothing to distract himself with--there was only _her_. The girl whose humor matched his own, who had been so strong during the hard times that he couldn't help but want to praise her, who was so weak that he wanted to be the one she came to for comfort and for arms to hold her as she cried, who had the most infectious smile and laughter.

But the words of her brother echoed in his head, and he instead teased her mercilessly. He was not ignorant of the nearly concealed affection in her gaze as she looked at him, even when he was annoying her. So he tried even harder to anger her, to erase that love he so desperately needed from her, so that he would not lose control and do anything that might show his love for her.

"Ouch!"

Kurosaki snapped back from his thoughts. Walking over nonchalantly, he noticed that she had moved on from the daisies she so dearly loved and had gone to the other flowers. "What happened, slave? Do something stupid again?"

She sent him a withering look. "I was tending the flowers--which should be _your _job--and I pricked myself on one of the thorns. Okay?"

Without thinking, he automatically took her right hand and inspected the finger. Right at the tip, a drop of blood was starting to stream out. He automatically put his lips on the wound, getting rid of the blood, thinking that this was the closest to a kiss that he was going to get, save for that time he was tending to her when she had a fever.

Kiss. _Crap_, he thought, smoothly pulling the finger from his mouth and letting go of her hand so it would seem he hadn't lost control. He dared to look at Teru, whose face was bright red. He intended to say a witty, aggravating remark, but all that came out was, "Go get a band aid. Make sure to wash the wound."

"Uh, y-yes!" was her high-pitched response. "Actually, Riko-san wanted me to get something, so I should just go now. I'll, um, see you later, Kurosaki!"

He could feel realization set in as he walked away, and his face grew warmer and warmer at the memory of her warm skin. Kurosaki then let out a heavy sigh once her quick footsteps had faded from earshot. He once again tried to become involved in his game of mahjong.

After a few minutes, his cell phone went off. "Ah, crap," he muttered, but did not hesitate to read the message.

**Dear DAISY,**

**Something very strange just occurred! I was bleeding due to tending to the flowers, and the cruel person I'm stupidly in love with got rid of the blood WITH HIS MOUTH. How am I supposed to react to that? Am I looking for some hidden meaning when there isn't one? Help, DAISY! I really want to believe that it's because he likes me back, but I'm afraid that it's too much to ask for.**

**But he was really gentle. Despite how he acts, he always is very gentle around me, and that's why I love him so much, I think. In a way, he's like you, DAISY; he looks out for me.**

**How should I talk to him after this? Also, should I confess?!**

**Please help me!**

**Teru**

"Well, this is awkward," Kurosaki muttered, looking depressed. "What do you want me to say?" He was glad that Servant Number Two was gone today; he would have retorted with some annoying advice that he knew Kurosaki wouldn't dare use.

And after rereading her email, he felt his stomach drop. "'I really want to believe that it's because he likes me back, but I'm afraid it's too much to ask for'?" Kurosaki read aloud, feeling like a terrible guy. "Stupid! It was too much to ask for that _you _would fall for _me_!"

After much thought, he began texting back.

**Teru,**

**I'm afraid I can't really say how you should react. I'm not very good with romance advice. I think you should say whatever you feel you should say. I'm sorry I can't be very helpful this time around.**

**Good luck!**

**DAISY**

Several minutes after Kurosaki got back to work, he was suddenly kicked by someone. "Kurosaki!"

He stumbled a bit, then whirled around. "What are you doing?! Tryin' to kill me?!" he yelled at the beaming girl, who was still blushing slightly.

Her right hand was at her forehead in that pose which reminded him of that shoujo anime Riko used to watch, Sailor Moon. The other hand was holding a plastic bag. "I, Kurebayashi Teru, have brought you ice cream!"

Kurosaki stared blankly at her as she pulled out a Popsicle she had bought from the local convenience store. "Heheh. I wasn't sure which flavor was your favorite, so I just bought chocolate. It's a thank you for, ah, treating me! And for other stuff," she said as an afterthought.

"'Other stuff'?" he asked, taking the Popsicle.

"It's. A. Se. Cret," she said cutely.

"This isn't that sort of shoujo manga," he deadpanned.

She just laughed again. "But really, it is a secret. Anyway, let's eat!" She opened her own Popsicle--vanilla--and began eating.

Even if he wanted to, he could not express his relief. He had been worried that he had ruined their relationship. But no, she always came back to him, always was there.

He might have been DAISY, and his roots might have kept him with her always, but it was she who cared for him, and was saving him in her own way. It was she who was truly gentle.

Kurosaki smiled slightly, bonking her lightly on the head. "Get my laptop. We're going home."

She grinned, and he found himself thinking that perhaps someday, the guilt wouldn't eat at him, and someday, he could tell her that she didn't even have to ask if he could love her. Because he already did--so, so much.

**Prettyinpinkgal: This was a story which was like pulling teeth trying to get out. I kept thinking, "It's too fluffy!" But it just got more and more so. Ah, well. We could always use a little fluff, right? Oh, and to clarify on when this chapter took place, it's during the recent chapters, so Teru DOES know that Kurosaki is DAISY! So, could that email have been one of her attempts of being cruel? **


	4. Dating: iPod

**Prettyinpinkgal: Okay, so we all know that Kurosaki and Teru NEED to be together, right? Well, what if they actually started dating?! I'm really addicted to fluff; what can I say? This is inspired by one of the chapter covers, I want to say it's somewhere between Chapter 10 and Chapter 15.**

**Note: Purikura is short for the English phrase "Print Club". It is the little photo booth they have in Japan and in America, although they are much more popular in Japan.  
**

**Disclaimer: DD doesn't belong to me.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Dating: iPod  
**

Everything was out in the open. Teru and Kurosaki had admitted they liked each other yesterday, and after talking for a while, Kurosaki confessed that he was DAISY, and Teru admitted she had known for a while now.

And so, on this bright, happy morning, when Teru should have been beaming out of sheer ecstasy, she was instead sitting up in her bed, her eyes mere lines as she stared ahead, looking grave and comical at the same time.

After some time of staying in this position, she apparently came to a decision, for she nodded once and jumped out of bed, quickly changing out of her pajamas to her day clothes.

Teru skidded into the hallway, then bolted into the kitchen. "Riko-san! I humbly request your assistance!" she cried in typical Teru-fashion.

Riko looked up from her computer. "Morning, Teru. What's up?"

"Do you have any shoujo manga?!"

The older woman looked at her quizzically. "Why?"

"Because I need to be cheap, so I can't buy any myself!"

"Um, why do you want some?"

"...I can't tell you. Sorry!"

Teru recalled Kurosaki's words last night just before they parted ways. _"You _must not _tell Riko, got it?! It's to keep our sanity!" _

Riko thought for a moment. "Shoujo manga...usually are romantic." She glanced at Teru out of the corner of her eye.

The high-schooler turned pink despite her attempts to stay calm.

"They...could council people on how to date." Another glance.

Another blush.

"HA!" Riko cried, pointing at the younger girl and causing the latter to jump. "I _knew _it! You and Kurosaki are dating! I have woman's intuition; I can tell these things! But why weren't you going to tell me?" she suddenly asked in a much calmer voice.

"Um...various reasons."

"Kurosaki told you to keep your mouth shut."

"...Yeah, basically."

"Oh well, I'll just kill him later. Anyway, best of luck dating that guy! But you should know what he's like by now. Just make sure he doesn't pull anything, or he'll suffer my wrath."

Teru smiled. "Thanks, Riko-san." This was Riko's way of looking after her, she supposed, and she appreciated it, although it might have been a bit overboard.

"So, what exactly did you need advice about?"

Teru wondered if admitting her feelings had made her more susceptible to blushing. It certainly seemed so, for she was doing it yet again. "Uh, I wanted to know what to do now. I mean, I know we're supposed to go on dates and everything, but I don't know how to act, you know? I'm used to kicking him when he picks on me, not being in love-love mode."

Riko paused. "Can you two even _be_ in love-love mode? It doesn't seem to fit."

"Exactly," replied Teru morosely.

The guidance counselor sighed as she thought. Then her eyes lit up. "I know! Since school doesn't start up again for a few more days, you won't be able to see him there, right? Which is too bad, because seeing each other in a usual setting would help. So instead...hm...why don't you happen to bump into him somewhere? It won't be a date, since it wasn't planned, so you'll feel calmer about the whole thing. I'm sure you'll figure out how to act once you two spend some time together without being stressed out."

Teru considered this, then nodded. "Okay. But I don't know where he's going to be."

Riko winked. "Leave it to me!"

"No thanks," Teru immediately replied. "It feels too much like stalking."

"Meh. You're no fun. But I recommend just hanging out in that park near Master's. Kurosaki sometimes goes that way to think."

* * *

_Okay, be normal_, Teru thought vehemently. She got out her iPod and started listening to the songs as she walked around, enjoying the fall colors as she slowly felt herself relax.

She must have been walking for twenty minutes when someone saying, "-ru. Teru!" suddenly jolted her from her reveries. She whirled around, and there was Kurosaki, looking amused. "Well, someone's out of it today."

"I am not! I was enjoying myself, thank you," retorted Teru, frowning. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was at Master's. We were...talking about stuff." He would rather die than admit that he had been there asking advice on how to date Teru.

"How am I supposed to treat her now?!" Kurosaki had demanded, sounding worried indeed.

Master replied, "Well, treat her as you usually would, I suppose. Just show a bit of your DAISY side. I guess in short, just be honest with your feelings."

"I've spent God knows how long _not _being honest! I can't just change overnight!"

"You don't have to. It'll happen on its own."

"Crap!" Kurosaki muttered, taking a sip of his beverage. "She deserves better than this."

"She wanted to date you, too. She knew what she was getting into. But I feel bad for her," Master added, sounding pensive. "She's probably worried about how to act around you, too. You're her first boyfriend, aren't you? Furthermore, she probably is worried about the eight-year age difference between you too."

Kurosaki groaned. "Don't remind me. Crap. _Crap_! This is a mistake. I shouldn't--GAH!" The exclamation was due to the fact that Master had just punched him.

"How about," Master said with a smile, "you cool your head and go outside for a while." He had talked to Riko just before Kurosaki had come in.

Kurosaki quickly got out of there, worried that he'd get another punch--_I'm so abused!_ he thought agitatedly--and wandered over to the park. There he spotted the object of his worries, but these fears evaporated as he watched her walk about, looking peaceful and content. She looked like a goddess, although he'd never admit this to anyone.

Which brings us to the present. "What are you listening to?" Kurosaki asked, trying to get a glimpse at the iPod's screen.

Teru beamed. "Our song!"

He felt his cheeks burn slightly, although it could have been due to the sudden breeze which whispered of the few weeks left before winter arrived. "You mean 'Time After Time'?"

"Mm! Except it's not the original one. It's Quietdrive's."

"Kuwaieto Duraibu?" Kurosaki repeated, sounding confused.

Teru laughed. "No, see? It's English." She showed him the screen. "Wanna listen?" She handed him one of the earphones.

_**"Lying in my bed--"**_

"Hey, this is pretty good," Kurosaki said with a smile.

"Isn't it? I found it on the internet a few days ago. I think I like it better than the original!"

"Yeah, me too."

They listened together for a few minutes, oblivious to how close the iPod had required they be in order for the earphones to stay in. Another gust of wind, stronger than the first, blew through the park, and Teru shivered. Kurosaki automatically put an arm around her, and she leaned into him, both only partly realizing what they were doing.

_**"If you're lost you can look and you will find me--" **_the vocalist sang.

"Time after time," Teru sang suddenly, causing Kurosaki to grin.

"You suck at this."

"Then you sing!" Teru retorted.

"Time after time," Kurosaki sang, causing Teru to do a giggle-snort. "Shut up, you; it didn't sound that bad!"

"Yeah, it did," she teased.

An elderly couple passed them. "Oh, how cute, dear. Young love," the grandmother said, causing Kurosaki and Teru to freeze.

Her husband nodded happily. "I remember when we were like that. How the years have flown by. But you look as beautiful as ever, my dear."

"Oh, you!" the wife giggled, and the two passed our duo, whose stray strands of hair were standing on end.

"I don't think we'll ever be that lovey-dovey, thank God," Teru said wisely as she stared after the affectionate couple. "It's fine for some people, but not us."

"I'm glad you agree," Kurosaki replied, staring after them with the same expression as Teru.

However, they both silently acknowledged that they wouldn't be opposed to being a little bit more romantic.

This wish was fulfilled after a day of sightseeing, buying takoyaki, going to the movies and stuffing their faces with popcorn, and going to a purikura, they returned to the apartment complex.

"See you later, Kurosaki," Teru said pleasantly as she turned to open her door.

"Hang on a minute."

Teru turned, about to ask why, Kurosaki put his arms on both sides of the doorframe, capturing her. He leaned in and gently kissed her. Teru slowly closed her eyes, hesitantly kissing him back.

And then they both fell as the door opened, finding themselves painfully on the floor of Riko's apartment. There stood the woman herself, smiling with her eyes closed. "Hello, you two! I hope you had a nice time. Tasuku, may I talk to you for a minute? Outside? Preferably in the alley next door?"

Kurosaki muttered, "Oh, crap" and that was all, for Riko was already dragging him outside.


	5. Dating: Seconds

**Prettyinpinkgal: Thank you for the kind reviews, everyone! Just so you know, I have another DD oneshot: An Inconvenient Question. If you haven't read (or reviewed) that one, please do! There, I've shamelessly advertised. Please keep the reviews coming, they help give me the stamina to trudge through AP Euro study guides and quadratic functions.**

**This oneshot is the first fight they've had since they started dating. They might have only been dating a few days, I'm not sure. Because really, I can't picture Kurosaki and Teru going longer than a week without getting themselves into quarrel.  
**

**Disclaimer: DD doesn't belong to me.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Dating: Seconds  
**

"Give it _back_!" Teru huffed, hopping onto her tip-toes in an attempt to reach it.

However, this was to no avail. Kurosaki only held the ice cream cone higher, laughing at her as she started jumping. He took a lick of his own ice cream and said, "Mmm. It's _really _good. Especially on a day like today."

It was true. Despite the fact that it was late fall and the past few days had been chilly, they were suddenly having an Indian summer.

"You're such a jerk!" cried Teru as she lunged once more--and failed once more. "Give me back my ice cream! It's starting to melt!"

"If it melts, I'll have it," smirked Kurosaki.

That was the final straw. Teru stood still, and, in one swift motion, kicked him in the shin. As Kurosaki winced in pain, he dropped Teru's ice cream. This landed, ice cream-side first, on its owner's head.

It took Kurosaki four seconds to look back at Teru, opening his mouth to yell.

It took him one second to shut it.

It took him three seconds to limp backwards so there would be sufficient distance between them.

Meanwhile...

It took Teru eight seconds to realize it was freakin' _cold _with ice cream on one's head, Indian summer or not.

It took her one second to realize that the culprit was backing away.

It took her .5 seconds to gather the air needed to let out an inhuman screech.

It took her three seconds to grab the cone on her head and throw it at her fleeing boyfriend.

It took her ten seconds to catch up to him.

It took her one more second to get in front of him and punch him in the gut.

"GO _BALD_, Kurosaki!" she shrieked, gathering the ice cream that was piled on her head and smearing it on his face and in his stupid crazy hair. Honestly, how hard was it for him to brush his friggin' hair right?! (Normally she liked his hair style, but right now she hated pretty much everything about him.)

"I'm sorry, okay?! Don't you think you're over--"

"Say 'overreacting' and I'll really kill you!"

"_So_rry!" he cried. He had spent enough time around Riko to know that when women are this livid, the best thing to do is just apologize, no matter how much pride you have as a man is crushed in the process.

"Not good enough! Get me another ice cream, you $&%&$!"

"Since when did you learn that word?!"

"I'm in freaking _high school_, you heartless son of a--!"

Kurosaki stopped dodging Teru's punches, which surprised her into stopping as well. Awkward realization dawned on his features, and a light pink blush flitted across his cheeks. "Oooh. That makes sense."

"What?" Teru asked, forgetting to snap as curiosity won out.

"Uh...how to put this delicately...it's not time that time of the month, is it?"

It took Teru one second to understand, horrified and disgusted, what he meant.

It took her one second to kick him in the place which would make him whimper like a little girl.

**Prettyinpinkgal: I actually felt a little embarrassed writing this installment. I've never mentioned anything like "that time" before in any story. Awkward. Well, uh, I hope it was amusing!**


	6. Sister

**Prettyinpinkgal: Here's another oneshot! This time it's not a KurosakixTeru oneshot. Instead, it's talking about the friendship between Riko and Teru.**** I hate this one; I feel like it started out well, but once I returned to it after a while, it ended as crap. Bleh. So forgive me, dear readers.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Sister  
**

Riko was actually as caring as she looked, despite her reputation for being a walking contradiction.

That's why she decided to be a guidance counselor. She wanted to help people.

_Because no one could help her._

She had arrived at that particular school when Master told her about that brat's new duty as DAISY: to protect and watch over Kurebayashi Teru. If someone was going to be watching over Teru, _she _wanted to. After all, if things had gone on as they should have, they would have been sisters-in-law.

_Because there was never a day that went by when she didn't think of that wedding she should have had._

She was a bit disconcerted. Kurosaki seemed..._infatuated _with Souichirou's little sister. Even for a sadistic guy like Tasuku, treating her like a servant was extreme, especially considering how devastated he was when Souichirou died. So it had to be that he was pushing her away. Yes, Souichirou had told him to keep his distance, but that was a little ridiculous. Surely there were other schools who needed janitors. Surely there were other jobs he could have taken that wouldn't require him to be a janitor at all! Yet here was this genius guy, repairing fences and whatnot and forcing the very girl he was ordered to watch out for to do his work once school ended. It just didn't add up.

But she understood why.

_Because she knew what it was to be so in love._

But this didn't prevent her from testing him. So she handed him the business card, willing to help her not-quite sister whether he was there or not. However, she understood that it would be much easier if Tasuku left. The guy was torturing himself by being so close and so in love. And she couldn't help but wonder what Teru thought of him.

But she was surprised when Teru burst into her office soon after, and with such a determined look on her face. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised; Souichirou had always lightly said that sometimes he wondered if he looked after Teru or vice versa. And now that strength he had indirectly mentioned was shining through, and Riko wondered if, perhaps, Souichirou had not ordered Tasuku to protect Teru so she could be saved from her despair, but so she could save Tasuku. And her own heartbroken self.

_Because despite the time that had gone by, she felt like the pain hadn't lessened._

She had planned to behave like a perfectly wonderful young woman, donning the mask she so often wore when at work. But Teru's question--her ridiculous, insulting, absurd, hilarious question!--caused that mask to shatter as the buildup of laughter proved too much for her. But that was okay.

_Because weren't sisters supposed to be honest?_

Really, though. She was a bit disappointed in Teru. Falling in love with such a person? She was supposed to be smart! But no matter. She'd end this crush before it really took off.

She spoke nothing but truth, but tilted it in a way which only revealed Tasuku's failings, which, really, could be devastating to any relationship. But Teru seemed not at all surprised, because hadn't she already been his victim countless times?

"Therefore," the girl said, a look of perfect honesty and seriousness in her eyes, "if I get hurt, it'll just be my fault for being stupid. I'm prepared."

And Riko realized that her respect and admiration for Teru just tripled. And her heart healed just a little bit as Teru's strength showed itself.

_Because if there was one person who could have ever helped her, it was Teru._


	7. Christmas

**Prettyinpinkgal: Merry Christmas!**** This is my halfhearted attempt to get over my fiendish writer's block, and a treat to my sweet reviewers. Thank you all! I hope you enjoy this!  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy. I also do not own Vampire Knight or Ouran High School Host Club (which is briefly mentioned at the end).  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Christmas  
**

"Come _on_, Teru-chan! It's so cute!"

"No freaking way...!" Pause. "Ah, no, I'm sorry; please don't look so disappointed! Alright, I'll try it on, okay? Just for five minutes!"

"All right! Oooh, you're gonna be adorable! Hm, but we'll have to keep Kurosaki from looking."

"E-eh? But despite how he acts, he's not actually a pervert, right?" Another pause. "...Riko-san? Riko-san? He's not, right? Oh, you've gotta be _kidding _me! So he was serious all those times, like when he looked up my skirt that one time and--!"

"_He looked up your skirt?! I'll kill him!_"

"Ah, no, he's already gotten his divine retribution for that. But seriously, this is so _awkward_! And here I thought he was a secretly good guy!"

"Yeah, well, I guess he is, but he's still a no-good guy. He's a paradox."

"An enigma."

"Got that right. Anyway, hurry up and change!"

"...So he's not gonna have a nosebleed or anything?"

"I think you're safe."

"...Fine."

The door opens soon after, with Riko in a reindeer suit and Teru in a Santa-style dress. They retreat one step, though, when they see Kurosaki's evil glare.

"You old hag..." he grounds out as flames seem to dance in the background.

"Oh ho ho ho! So you heard all that, did you?" she asks jovially. "But doesn't Teru-chan look adorable?"

He turns for the first time to truly look at her. He blushes, notices her blush, and mutters an, "Oh, crap" before getting a nosebleed.

"Clean up on aisle ten!" Master calls cheerfully, although the punch he delivers to Kurosaki's face makes his happy disposition frightening.

Teru covers her face in her hands. "Oh, Kurosaki! I'm so disappointed in you!"

Riko takes out a cigarette. "Yeah, but I feel disappointed in myself. I was too slow. Master got to you before I could."

Teru glances back at her. "But can't you still hurt him?"

"Technically, yes, but we have this unofficial rule that we can't punish someone more than once."

"O-oh."

"Yeah, it's a terrible rule. But anyway, don't you have something to say?"

She thinks, and the room is silent for a moment, with the exception of Kurosaki murmuring, "Ow" and "gross" as he got a few tissues. "Oh!" she cries, clapping her hands together. "Go bald, Kurosaki!"

"Um, no, but that works too. I meant that other thing."

She does her "I'm poor but I'll do my best anyway!" pose, saying, "Gotcha!" Turning to the readers, who are hopefully laughing or at least feeling tickled, she cries with a grin, "Merry Christmas!"

"Have a happy new year and make a goal to do something awesome!" Riko says with a wink.

"Will your goal be to quit smoking?" Master asks pleasantly.

"...I can't even tell you to go bald for that! Curse you! And tell that to the perv, not me!"

Master turns to the readers now. "I hope you all have a wonderful time this holiday season! Tasuku, your turn."

Kurosaki has now cleaned up the mess and avoids looking at Teru as he clears his throat. "Do I really have to go through with this?"

"Yes," Teru says evilly. "Alyssa has been on an Aidou high lately. You're the puppet, and she's controlling the strings."

"Stupid girl can go die," Kurosaki mutters. Then he freezes. "Do you think she can hear us?"

"Idiot," Alyssa's voice echoes in the scene. "I'm writing this, aren't I?"

"Oh, crap!" Kurosaki cries, slamming his fist on the table as plenty of gruesome ways he can die flash before his eyes, but Alyssa is in a forgiving mood this Christmas season and will only give him the gift of briefly going bald for a few hours on Christmas Day.

Teru suddenly finds herself holding a note, which has the aforementioned plan written on it. She grins maniacally. "Thank you, Alyssa-sama."

"You're welcome."

"Do you think that the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future were really just Dickens appearing in his own work?"

"It's possible," Alyssa replies. "Now, from the top!"

Teru returns with an even happier grin, now that her Christmas wish is coming true. "Merry Christmas!"

"Have a happy new year and make a goal to do something awesome!" Riko declares with another wink.

Master smiles as he says, "I hope you all have a wonderful time this holiday season!"

"See you in 2010, girls! Bang!" Kurosaki cries, "shooting" the female readers.

* * *

_Behind the scenes..._

"Hey, what's wrong with Teru?" Kurosaki asks.

"She made me promise not to tell you that she was wanted to be "shot", too," Riko replied. "Oh. Oops."

"Kurosaki really is a player and a pervert who doesn't care about people's feelings," Teru mutters, sitting in a corner with mushrooms growing on her.

"Hold on! You told me I had to!"

"I didn't know that you'd look that hot doing it!"

"You think I look hot? Oh, wait a second; why are you acting so weird?"

"Because it's a fanfiction, and I'm allowed to not make sense and be OOC!"

"Sure it's not That Time again?"

"_Did you learn _anything _from two drabbles ago?! Your punishment will come on Christmas Day!"  
_


	8. Flirting

**Prettyinpinkgal: I actually hadn't planned on updating till 2010, but I've been inspired to update sooner. This oneshot is dedicated to sakurachan529; she brought up an idea for a story, but since it sounds like she's leaning towards writing it herself, I'm adjusting the idea so she can write that one herself ;). Good luck, sakurachan! I'm looking forward to reading it!****  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Flirting  
**

As Kurosaki sipped his beer, walking down the busy streets of the city, Teru was falling behind. _Curse you, Kurosaki! _she thought with a grunt as she carried the box--probably a computer or something--with weakening arms.

"Hey, servant. Hurry up," he called, glancing back with an indifferent mask on his face.

"Go bald!" she threw back, although it was not as vehement as she would have liked. Carrying an entire computer system or whatever it was for what was already ten blocks (fifteen more to go!) was a pain, literally and figuratively, and her panting was making it difficult to speak. "Get your stupid car fixed!"

"Once Riko coughs up the money," he replied. "She's the one who wrecked it. And it's not like you have anything better to do, so shut up and walk."

Teru glared, which Kurosaki secretly found adorable but knew he'd sooner die than let her know. "I do, too! I'm sixteen; I could be out with friends, or getting a boyfriend, or--!"

"Wait a second," Kurosaki snickered. " 'Getting a boyfriend'?" What makes you think you could? You're a kid!" Or so he tried to tell himself on an hourly basis.

Teru shoved the box into his surprised arms, thinking, _I fell for _this _guy? I have such bad taste! _"I am not! I may not be comparable to Riko-san or the school nurse, but I'm legally eligible for marriage! So there!"

Which was another thing he told himself on an hourly basis, to counter the times when he wondered if he really was a lolicon. "Well, it's not like you could get a guy."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yeah. If you can get a guy to ask you out, not only will I carry the box all the way back to the apartment, but I'll also buy you ice cream. Is that okay?" he asked condescendingly, as though to a child.

She, however, paid no mind, as she was already gazing into her reflection at a shop window, trying to fix her disheveled appearance by acting on her girl friends' advice that had been given to her just a few days before. Recalling Kurosaki's mention that she looked cute with her ears showing (not in so many words, but still), she adjusted her hair accordingly. Teru then threw her hat at Kurosaki, who was watching, speechless and secretly cursing himself for being so stupid, and she then bit her lips a bit so they reddened and pinched her cheeks for more of a blush. Luckily, she had changed out of her school uniform some time ago, so she was now wearing a cute blue shirt Riko bought for her and a blue-jean-style miniskirt.

"Sit over there," Teru then commanded, pointing at a bench.

"Fine, whatever," he replied, suddenly regretting his challenge very, very much.

Meanwhile, as Kurosaki tried to resist dragging Teru away, the latter put on her "I'm Determined!" look, she clenched her fist. Not only would she get the short term benefits of being able to relax and exploit Kurosaki to get ice cream, but she might also finally appear as an "adult" in Kurosaki's eyes.

"There is no way," she quietly said, her eyes blazing as she scanned the crowd for any eligible guys, "I will lose!"

There! Leaning against a lightpole was a blonde who looked around her age, and pretty hot, too. He was talking to some other guy, but the latter already had a girl hanging on his arm. But it looked like the blonde was almost trying to flirt with this girl, too, judging by her blushes and his friend's smile becoming increasingly strained. A player; that was the perfect target!

Summoning all the wisdom she had learned from her schoolmates, Riko-san, and shoujo manga, she strutted over there, "accidentally" bumping into him.

"Ah!" she cried dramatically as she fell to the ground. _Why can I act so well around Kurosaki, but I can't act in any other scenario?! _she whined mentally. _This is pathetic! Maybe because I feel like I'm cheating on him? _With a quick glance in the man's direction, she thought grimly, _Forget that. The jerk deserves it, after all the crap he puts me through!_

"Hey, you alright?" her target asked, helping her up.

Teru smiled and giggled, secretly hating herself for acting so much like that stupid nurse. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I can't believe I did that!" She blushed, which wasn't entirely an act but rather due to the fact that she had never been in the arms of a guy before aside for when she was crying.

The target seemed pleased by this, and he let her go in a way that seemed to imply that he was feeling reluctant about doing so. "Don't worry about it." He seemed to do a quick scan, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable, but she felt a little triumphant when he seemed to be happy with what he saw. "I'm Keiichi."

"I'm Teru. It's nice to meet you," she said as she put a hand behind her head to keep her hair from flying in the wind. Keiichi seemed to be drooling, and Teru thought, _I do have beauty! I do! YES! Take that, Kurosaki!_

"Uh, these are my friends," Keiichi said as he tried to snap out of his stupor, but turned to find that the couple had left. "Well, they were here."

Teru giggled, and Keiichi seemed to be in euphoria.

"Well, I'm afraid I have to be--oh no!" She stumbled on the curb, and he quickly steadied her, using the situation to draw her close. She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so embarrassed! I...I...I'm so sorry!" She tried to pull away, as though to run.

He held her close, though. "Don't apologize, it's cute," he breathed into her ear.

_Moe works too! I AM THE FLIRTING QUEEN!_

"So," he continued, a smirk on his face. "How about we go somewhere, you and me?"

Teru faked disappointment. "I'm sorry. I have to go. But can I have your number? Maybe I could call you later?"

"Or I could call you."

"Mm-hmm! But--oh, shoot--I forgot my cell phone. Do you have a pen and paper?"

He quickly supplied it, and she wrote down his number as she gave him a fake one. "I'll see you later, Keiichi." She winked, and she watched as his face went red. Pleased, she walked back towards the bench, not even looking at Kurosaki as she dropped the paper onto his lap and she muttered, "I want chocolate."

Kurosaki soon followed, but he needed a moment to get his face to lose a bit of its crimson hue.


	9. Dating: Villain

**Prettyinpinkgal: Happy new year! I go back to school tomorrow, sad! TT But to lessen the depression many of us will be feeling as we return to the prison--I mean school, here is another oneshot! Thank you for the reviews, everyone! Please keep 'em coming!**

**Now, this oneshot came to me as I finished rereading the extra story in "Dengeki Daisy". After seeing Kurosaki holding the magazine from Teru so she wouldn't read it, this oneshot was born. I hope you enjoy it! It's another one of those more amusing oneshots like the Christmas one, but I think you guys will like it.**

**Note: A yanki (also spelled "Yankee" in the Fruits Basket series) is a delinquent known for being violent, I guess. If there's more to this definition, please let me know.**

**Edit: For some reason, FF hates words meshed together, because it deleted the entire phrase in the first version, so sorry about that! I think I fixed it though.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy or Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Dating: Villain  
**

"Kurosaki-kun?"

He turned around, one eyebrow raised. He had been busy making dinner--he honestly didn't mind it, but it was difficult to transition to being honest now that they were dating and DAISY's identity was out in the open--but something in Teru's voice made him stop and look at her. The use of "-kun" also was a sign that something was up.

"Yeah?" he asked, going back to cooking. She hadn't looked upset or anything; she was just reading some magazine.

"What is this?"

He turned to look at her again. She held up Deluxe Betsucomi...

Deluxe Betsucomi?! Hadn't he thrown that away?!

Kurosaki quickly walked over to Teru, throwing on an innocent expression. "Isn't it a manga magazine? Maybe Riko left it over here--"

"No, what is _this_?"

Her voice was dangerously innocent as well, pointing to the picture where Kurosaki was saying, "Just be quiet and let me eat."

_Aw, HECK no!_

"Kurosaki-kun?" He flinched. Teru continued, saying pleasantly, "Well, I read later that it was all Master's imagination, which is sorta creepy, but you wouldn't _really _pull a stunt like that, right?"

Kurosaki was finding it difficult to speak.

"Right?"

"Um?!" he squeaked.

"Oh, and what was _this_?" she asked happily, pointing to the picture where Kurosaki was screaming, "We should at least do it somewhere with a roof!"

Kurosaki managed a nervous laugh. "Oh, that's...well...I think Master told Motomi Kyousuke to draw that. It's not like I'd actually feel that way...I mean, not without asking...I mean..."

"Oh really? So you don't approve of this manga oneshot at all?" she asked with a grin.

"Not at all!" he assured her.

"Then why do you still have it when it's several months old? You could have thrown it away at any time if you didn't like it."

He really hated it when Teru was smart.

"Yeah, well, I think I meant to but I forgot," he lied, taking a step back.

The smile on her face was no longer friendly, but terrifying, and her eyes became evil. "You're a liar, Kurosaki-kun!" she sang as she grabbed the large knife Kurosaki had been using to cut the food just a few moments ago.

_Higurashi?! _he cried mentally as he fell backwards and began crawling away, keeping his eyes on his sinister girlfriend as she raised the knife...

_"Kurosaki?"_

"Kurosaki?"

"STUPID BOYFRIEND! MAY YOU GO BALD IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP THIS MINUTE!"

Kurosaki's eyes flew open, and he found himself laying on his chair at school, with the usual-sane Teru glaring at him. She then smiled triumphantly. "Wow, that actually worked! Nice job, me!"

"TERU!" he cried, grabbing hold of her shoulders.

She blinked at him, then her eyes filled with compassion. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Nod, nod. "About Onii-chan?" Shake, shake. "Then what is it? You might feel better if you talk about it."

He looked around. A hose! She could strangle him with it! He moved her so they were standing in the at least several feet from all objects which could pose a threat. "Teru," he said bravely. "There is a volume of Betsucomi in my house. I swear I'm going to throw it out, burn it, _whatever_, but Motomi had drawn a picture of us about to..." He muttered it, and Teru gasped.

"EW! THAT PERVY MANGAKA!"

"No, that was actually all Master's idea," Kurosaki said gravely, looking like he was about to cry. "But..." This was it, the final moment. "I said should at least do it somewhere with a roof. I'mreallysorrypleasedon'tkillmePLEASE! I love you?"

Once Teru deciphered what he had said, she asked in a low voice, "But you're very sorry now, right?" A glint appeared in her eye.

"Yes!" he said hopefully.

"Okay."

"You forgive me, then?"

"Yes."

"You won't kill me?"

She snorted. "No! Of course not!"

"I love you!"

"Hold on," she ordered. "I still have to punish you."

"What do you--"

Teru delivered a swift punch, and once he landed, she stomped on his stomach several times. Once she got her anger out of her system, she turned. "Let's go," she said coolly, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

And that was when Teru and Kurosaki learned that she'd be a great yanki, or a fantastic villain.


	10. Fright

**Prettyinpinkgal: 30 reviews! Holy crap! Thank you so much, everyone! I'm sorry this oneshot took so long; I've been busy with school and writing my original novel. However, since I'm still waiting for the new version of Microsoft Office to arrive so I can work on said novel again, here's the latest oneshot! Hope you like it! This one takes place during Chapter 3 of the manga.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dengeki Daisy.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Fright  
**

He heard those so-called "men" ran off, squealing like little girls. If Teru hadn't been in the room, he probably actually would have killed them.

But she was, and that was the reason why he was here in the first place.

"Ku-Kurosaki?" he heard her pant as he turned off the machine he had "borrowed" from the school.

He was not oblivious to how out of breath she was.

"Why...? Ah, but that isn't important..." He heard her let out a small, relieved laugh.

He was not oblivious to how she was acting so nonchalant after such a terrible incident.

"Eheh...We're saved, Kurosaki. You're really cool..."

He was not oblivious to the bruises on her arms, her face. He was not oblivious to how recklessly she had acted. He was not oblivious to what those pieces of trash had planned to do to her.

Kurosaki grabbed her face, covering her mouth aggressively. Normally, despite how rough he could be, he tried to be as gentle as possible with her without hinting at his feelings or his connection to her as DAISY. Now, however, he was so angry, so _terrified_ of what could have happened, that he couldn't stand seeing that carefree smile.

What was more, he couldn't stand that his vow to keep his distance from her had led to her almost being...

Yes, Teru was a stupid, stupid girl, with a heart that was too big for her tiny body. But that was why he was there: to protect her. And he had almost failed.

And that was terrifying to consider.

He watched as almost comical shock appeared on her face, then fade as she saw the look on his face.

He could imagine what she saw: A horrible glare, far fiercer than the evil smile he had showed to those boys. No smile was on his face, and his hand tightened its grip on her face as he trembled slightly from the emotions which were killing him. To someone who didn't understand his inner turmoil, it perhaps would have been labeled as the face of one whose scorn and abhorrence for the object of his gaze was immeasurable.

Although, perhaps that was true, also. His scorn and abhorrance for Teru were immeasurable, because they didn't exist when it came to her.

Kurosaki ground out, "Are you an idiot? Do you know what you've just done...?"

And what increased the vehemence of his jumbled emotions was the look of fear and hurt on her face.

In the car, Miss Student Body President, also known as Miss Ex-Bully Tsundere in his mind, tried breaking the tension. "U-um, please don't be angry with Kurebayashi-san. She actually was pretty smart. When we arrived at the ho-hotel, she pretended to cry and flung herself onto the bed, so that she could send a message to her DAISY friend."

_DAISY? _Kurosaki wondered, although his face was carefully blank. He felt his tension fade just a tad. At least she was relying on him more, but that didn't dismiss the fact that he still might not have gotten to her on time. Furthermore, he was pretty sure he didn't receive a message, but that might have been because he was too busy racing to the hotel to notice.

"Unfortunately," the girl continued disheartedly, "they noticed before she was able to send it. But then Kurebayashi-san grabbed the light stand and began fighting the guys, and she told me to start pounding on the walls so someone would come in. She wasn't being as reckless as you seem to think..."

Kurosaki remained silent, but glanced at Teru through the rearview mirror. She was not even bothering to speak. Her head was lowered just enough so he couldn't see her face, and now the guilt ripped him apart inside.

Not only did he almost not make it in time, but he made her feel awful as well. Hadn't she dealt with enough? How dare he add to her pain? Surely, despite her levelheadedness (which arrived too late) during the incident, and her cheerfulness after it, she was more shaken up than she had let on. After all, who was it that had been crying, "No! A hotel's a place you can only go to when you're an adult!" just the other night?

Still, he could not fully forgive her, nor could he forgive himself.

He arrived at her apartment complex, and she got out of the corner. For the first time since he had snapped at her, she quietly said, "Erm, Kurosaki...I'm sorry..." Her expression tore him apart.

He still could not talk to her, though. He sped away instead.

When he dropped off Miss Student Body President, he went back to his place. He could not get Teru's heartbroken expression out of his head. Perhaps "heartbroken" was too strong a word, considering how impossible it was that he could ever, as Kurosaki and not DAISY, possess any portion of her heart. However, he knew that she was too softhearted, and it didn't make him feel any better knowing that he had nevertheless hurt her.

He pounded his fist onto the coffee table once, a bundle of relief, pain, worry, love, hatred, and self-loathing.

Laying down on the couch, he put his arm over his eyes. "I'll deal with it tomorrow. I'll figure out how to talk to her tomorrow. I just need to get over it right now."

He flipped open his cell phone just once, and his heart sank as he found that Teru had not even managed to send a message to DAISY. With a conflicted heart, he turned his phone off to charge it for the night.

* * *

He found out the next day, however, that she had managed to send a message only shortly after he turned his phone off.

**Daisy,**

**I made someone angry. That was the first time I've seen him so angry. I felt really bad, so I didn't manage to sleep. Not only did I not help my friend, I did a lot of idiotic things. I don't know how I should face him tomorrow...**

_Aw, crap, _he thought uncomfortably. Overnight, he had calmed down, and right now he was even a bit happy that she had cared so much about his opinion of her. Still, he really needed to figure out how to make up with the silent girl behind him.

A can of soda was all it took, he found. "Idiot!" he laughed. "How long are you going to have that solemn face?"

For some reason, she had the look of someone who had realized something possibly embarrassing. He decided he really didn't want to know what the cause was, but if it was something important, DAISY would hear about it later. So he stole her soda and bugged her, now that the fear of losing her had subsided once again.


	11. Dating: Friends

**Prettyinpinkgal: OMG OMG OMG DENGEKI DAISY HAS BEEN LICENSED BY VIZ OMFG KYAAAA!**

**(Ahem) Now that my fangirl moment is over, you can check this fact by going to animenewsnetwork[dot]com. It's coming out in July, folks! To celebrate, here's a new oneshot ;) I just wanted to make something super-fast, so I only took about forty-five minutes on it, which means it's not that great. But it's still fun ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Dating: Friends**

"Oi, Teru."

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"You know, this..."

"Eh?"

"...This is..."

"What?"

He glanced at her happy expression, then let out a heartfelt sigh. "I hate you," he grumbled.

"That's not nice. They really will kill you if you say that around them," she replied bluntly.

Kurosaki winced. He felt pathetic, being afraid of some high-schoolers, who were mainly girls, but still. That one guy was freakin' _huge_! And if they all ganged up on him, he might seriously be done for, girls or not. They seemed to get along very well with Teru--I mean, look at what Kiyoshi went through for her!--and if they were protective of her as well... But wait! He did know Kiyoshi, and the kid would probably reassure the others...

_Crap_. Riko's overprotectiveness of Teru had scarred him.

"I can't believe you talked me into doing this," he muttered. Meeting your eight-years-younger girlfriend's friends was not something Kurosaki was looking forward to in the least.

"They've been looking forward to meeting you!" she protested. "Haruka's known about you since the beginning and has always been cheering me on, but I know she wants to meet you anyway. But it just goes to show what good people they are!"

He took in her expression and couldn't help but give in. He smiled slightly and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, you're pretty lucky," he said almost condescendingly.

Teru scowled. "Watch it! You're messing up my hair!" But right after she said this, she smiled slightly as well.

They met where Hachiko stood in Shibuya. Her friends were already waiting there, and Kurosaki subconsciously gulped.

"I never knew you were so shy, Kurosaki!" Teru giggled, letting go of his hand and dancing ahead. "Heeey, you guys!"

Various affectionate greetings were made, and then Kurosaki entered the group. Kiyoshi would admit later to Teru that he would never have guessed that the janitor was nervous if he hadn't known him. With the coolness he often used while hiding DAISY's identity, he said, "Hey. I'm Kurosaki Tasuku. I've heard a lot about you guys."

"Hey, Kurosaki," Kiyoshi greeted pleasantly, then glanced about at his friends, as though saying, "See? He may _look _like an evil yanki, but he really isn't."

Kurosaki noticed one girl put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and give her a thumbs-up, making Teru blush.

"What's that about?" he asked, curious.

The other girl said jovially, "I was congratulating her for catching such a hot guy!"

Before he could even think of reacting, the girl was sent flying by one of Teru's punches.

"Stupid! You shouldn't say such awkward things at all, not to me and especially not to him!" Teru shrieked, drawing the attention of several passersby. "Look! Look at my fist! It's wet from my tears!" The scary thing was, it actually was.

The girl, who was starting to sit up, placed a hand on her now-swollen cheek and said honestly, "No, actually, I don't blame you. Don't worry. Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Sorry, Kurosaki-san."

"Don't worry," Kiyoshi told him as he watched the scene with frazzled hair, "this is normal."

No one else seemed very concerned. They seemed rather used to this, and although they seemed to be slightly weirded out, they also looked amused. Kurosaki realized this really was normal.

_...The heck?! _he thought, his eyes beady as the girl stood and Teru put an arm around her. The injured put up a hand and said, "Hey. I'm Sawaguchi Haruka. Nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san. I've heard and seen a lot about you."

"'Seen'?" Kurosaki repeated.

The others introduced themselves and bowed, saying, "Thank you for taking such good care of our Teru. She's a smart but stupid person, so she probably has caused a bunch of messes."

"Traitors," Teru grumbled. "He's the one who's tortured me."

_No! _he cried mentally in English. He waved his hands frantically, but Teru couldn't take a hint.

"Remember?" she told her attentive audience. "He's the one who stormed into the classroom and took me captive."

"Oh, that's right!" Ken cried.

"Remember now? And he's also the one who said that he didn't want a picture of me; he wanted a sexy, hot girl. Heh. Now that I think about it, I actually kinda want to kill you, Kurosaki. Go bald. Go bald right now, you old man," Teru said, small laughters of "heh" coming out of her ghost-like body.

"When was this?!" Kako demanded, looking nervous.

"When you and Ken were making out on the beach," Haruka explained. "Teru was so upset, she chucked the phone out the window."

Kurosaki muttered, feeling very relieved that this was a long time ago and he hadn't been within a fifty-mile radius at the time, "Ah. That's right. Well, for various reasons, I had to lie--"

"But you didn't _have _to lie, right?" Haruka corrected, looking at him skeptically. "We know the full story. You didn't have to make such horrible remarks when you knew she liked the Kurosaki you."

The big guy cracked his fists, and Kurosaki wondered once again if he'd be able to take on a group of high-schoolers single-handedly.

"Oi, Teru! Remember all the time I bought you dinner, even before we started going out?!" Kurosaki asked, pointing a finger at the sinister-looking girl, who now transformed into her normal self.

"Oh, that's right. You're forgiven. Regain your hair."

"I never lost it," he replied, feeling exhausted, even though no more than ten minutes had passed since they'd arrived at the meeting spot.

"Hang in there, Kurosaki-san," Kiyoshi said, putting a hand on the older guy's shoulder.

"Shut up. I'll make you do triple the work on Monday if you keep it up."

"...My apologies," he said, withdrawing his hand immediately, sweat dripping from his brow as he considered all the work.

"Group meeting!" Haruka declared, and everyone except Teru and Kurosaki huddled up. Kurosaki raised a brow, but Teru simply grinned.

The group broke up, and the others clapped as Haruka gave a thumbs-up at Kurosaki. "Congratulations! You've passed! Not only are you hot, but you have a sense of humor and you must be a good guy if smart lil Teru here is going out with you! So we accept you! _You're one of us_!"

_Holy crap, I'm _one of them, Kurosaki thought, dismayed at the thought as he watched Teru happily embrace her friends. _I should have known her friends would be like this._


	12. Park

**Prettyinpinkgal: I made a forum on FF for DD, in case anyone wants to chat about Motomi-sensei's awesome work. Also, I just finished my novel Valentine's Day! (dances) But I'm currently in the editing process. Meh. And I was sick all last week. Double meh. Anyway, here's an AU-ish oneshot, where everyone's little (the "hacker" group's much closer in age than in the original manga, and Teru's closer to their age) X3 Enjoy! Just to warn you, this is very spur-of-the-moment and just for fun, so it's not my best.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy. Oh, and I just realized, this might be slightly based off of Full Moon o Sagashite (the manga).  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Park**

Four kids walked together from school, the oldest being in fourth grade and the youngest in first grade.

"The 'ri' in 'Riko' stands for--" sang Souichiro, swinging his bag around.

"Geez, Sou-kun! You're so annoying!" cried the cute girl holding his hand, but she didn't seem too put off.

The boy with a buzz cut, who was jokingly called "Master" by his friends, said, "I have to agree with her, Sou. Why can't you just be normal?"

"Eh? But that's so boring!" He turned left suddenly, startling Riko.

A boy with spiky black hair asked grumpily, "Haa? I thought you were going home!"

"Nope. I'm just here to pick up Teru-chan."

"Teru-chan's your sister, right?" Riko asked, noticing now that they were heading for a daycare.

Master, whose family had taken in Souichiro and his sister when their parents died, replied, "Yeah. You and Tasuku haven't met her yet, right? She's a good kid."

"I wanna meet her!" Riko declared.

Tasuku smirked. "You'll probably make her cry, Ri--oof!" he exclaimed when Riko punched him in a face. Souichiro just laughed with his too-carefree smile, and Master only sweatdropped.

Nakamura-sensei appeared at the door, having noticed the group through the window. "Ah, Souichiro-kun! Teru-chan's been asking, 'Where's onii-chan, where's onii-chan?' for the past half hour! You two really get along."

Sou exclaimed, "I know! I have the cutest sister ever! Teru-chaaaan!" he called, rushing into the building with his arms open.

A little girl, around three or four years old turned and grinned, her face bright. "Onii-chan!" she cried, hugging him as tight as she could. "Onii-chan, who're they?" she asked, pointing towards the two new faces. "Hi, Masuta-kun!"

"That's not my real name. I keep telling you that, Teru-chan," laughed Master, although he was practically melting at her cuteness. "Didn't I tell you guys she's adorable?"

Riko bent down to be at eye-level with Teru. "Hi, Teru-chan! I'm your onii-chan's girlfriend, Riko! It's nice to meet you!"

Teru hid a little bit behind her brother, feeling shy.

"What do you say, Teru-chan?" Souichiro asked gently.

"N-nice to meet you."

Riko squealed. "Oooh, you're so cute! I'm glad you'll be my little sister when Sou-kun and I get married!"

"Eh? Onii-chan's getting married?!"

Sou laughed. "All we did was exchange gifts on Valentine's Day and White Day, Riko-chan, not exchange vows!"

"But we'll definitely get married someday!"

Teru watched this in surprise. Then she looked at the mean-looking spiky-haired boy. "Hi hi," she greeted, waving slightly. She hoped he wasn't a bad guy like in anime. He looked like he could be!

Tasuku looked at her in surprise. "Uh, hi."

Teru smiled in relief; he wasn't so scary after all! Tasuku, meanwhile, was caught off guard by her smile and stared at her in surprise.

Riko, ever the romantic, noticed this exchange. "It's like Teru's a princess, and you're the prince who's going to marry her! You've both met for the first time, and your heart begins going_ doki-doki_, and you--!"

"Shut up, Riko!" cried Tasuku, who was now blushing. He jumped, however, when Tasuku noticed Sou's grave face.

Sou said darkly, "Tasuku, you better watch it."

"I'm not interested in some four-year-old!"

"But what about when we're all grown up! Teru's going to be really pretty!"

"Well--but--!"

Riko smirked. "Does Tasuku-chan think that girls still have cooties?"

"Shut up! And don't call me 'Tasuku-chan'!"

A laugh stopped the fighting. The three "big kids" turned to see little Teru giggling. "Onii-chan's friends are all so funny! Can we keep playing together? Ah! Hey, hey, can we go to the park?!"

Sou lost his frightening look and beamed at his sister. "Sure! How about it, you guys?"

They all agreed, although Tasuku did almost reluctantly.

As they walked, Teru kept holding onto Sou's hand, but she glanced back at Tasuku on occasion.

"What?" Tasuku snapped.

She cowered slightly, but then examined him some more. She decided he really was a good guy, and so she smiled just a bit with pinkened cheeks. "Tasuku-kun?"

"What?" he asked again, a bit more subdued.

"Do you think...do you think I really could be a princess? And you could be a prince?"

"E-EH? Ri-R-Ri-Ri-Riko! What are you putting in this kid's head?!"

When they reached the park, Teru was now holding her brother's hand and her new "bestest friend's", although the latter looked a little bashful at this. She pulled him over to play on the swings with her.

Riko observed, "Those two really hit it off, didn't they?"

Souichiro growled, "I don't like it."

"You're too protective," Master said. Sagely, he added, "The day will come when you will let her go. She's going to be a young woman soon--"

"She's only four!"

"I'm just repeating what my mom said to my dad when my onee-san started getting interested in a boy in her middle school."

"Kyaa!"

The three turned swiftly to see Teru fall off the swing, but before the older kids could react, Tasuku managed to catch her. "A-are you okay?" he demanded.

Teru was in a bit of a shock, and she looked up with watery eyes. "Ta-Tasuku-kuuun..."

"See? You're okay. No boo-boos, right?" Tasuku said, surprising the older children with his gentleness.

"Mmm..."

"So do you wanna go back on the swings?"

"No. Swings are scary!"

Teru began to tear up again, but before they could stream down her face, a warm hand patted her head comfortingly.

"Don't worry," Tasuku said, smiling. "I'll protect you."

Teru stared at him, then blushed a little. "Really?"

"Really! I'll be your prince, you little brat!" he grinned, ruffling her hair.

"That's a no-no, Tasuku-kun! You'll mess my hair up!"

"It's already messed up since you fell..."

Simultaneously, Riko and Master announced, "And so it begins", much to Sou's dismay.


	13. Bloopers

**Prettyinpinkgal: I was rereading Dengeki Daisy for the umpteenth time when I misread something and burst out laughing. And then it hit me: Why not make some bloopers? And so, here they are! I can't guarantee they'll be funny, but they should hopefully be amusing. :) Another oneshot should hopefully be out today or tomorrow! And more bloopers may be written sometime.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy.**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Bloopers**

_Chapter 6, page 17_

Riko stared darkly at Kurosaki. "Why don't you leave that girl and go somewhere far away? I'll do the things you can't do when you're away from her instead. You won't lose your blonde hair...Wait, what?"

Kurosaki, who had been staring at her with wide eyes, stared blankly. "Wasn't that supposed to be, 'You won't lose the bond you have with her' or something?"

Riko burst out laughing. "I misread the script! Aw, crap! The sad thing is it works so well! You know, the stress would make you go bald if you stay with her...oh, man, I need a beer. Where's Master?"

_Chapter 6, page 33_

"Do you think I'll be happy about you chasing after me now?" Teru demanded, trying not to be too impressed by the quirky smile on Kurosaki's face.

That smile...so hot...

With a sudden gush, blood splurted from Teru's nose and stained Kurosaki's car and covered his face. "Um, sorry. I was studying a lot...plus the sudden fangirl moment caught me off guard."

Sighing, Kurosaki grabbed a towel from the filming crew. "Not a big deal. I get this sort of reaction a lot."

_Chapter 2, starting on page 29_

The criminal picked up the cell phone. "Like I said, Dai-chan--"

**"Is your refrigerator running?"**

He blinked. "Uh, yeah...?"

**"Then you better go catch it!"**

Silence.

**"...Is that too old a prank?"**

"Too stupid is more like it."

**"Oh. (Ahem) So anyway, I am Kurosaki Tasuku. You stole my love interest's phone. Prepare to die. Or bring it to the bus station across the street. Either one."**

"_Princess Bride_?!" the criminal called. His friends stared at him. "What?!"

"How would you know it was a quote from _Princess Bride _unless you watched it?" one dared to ask.

The criminal decided to quickly run to the bus stop under the pretense of returning the phone to avoid answering the question.


	14. Dating: Neglect

**Prettyinpinkgal: I was taking--ahem-attemptingtotake-ahem--a GeoSpace test and this came to me. So I spaced out for about five minutes imagining the scenario before I remembered, "Oh, right, I should write down that Venus has an atmosphere of mostly CO2 and finish the test." So yeah. But just so you know, this is kinda-sorta-AU-ish. I mixed up the timeline for the manga a bit, and that's about as much AU as it gets, I think. Enjoy! And thank you so much for all the reviews, everyone; I really didn't expect this story to be so popular!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dengeki Daisy.**

**TIME AFTER TIME  
**

**Dating: Neglect**

Behind a certain hoodlum janitor we all know and love, there sat a sixteen-year-old who paced behind him. She would go to the fridge to get some cold milk, would offer Kurosaki some, would receive a grumbled, "Mehnotreally" in reply, and would end up not getting any milk for even herself. She rolled around on the floor, bored.

Teru loved Kurosaki. But if you put a computer in front of him..._siiiiiigggghhhh._

"Ne, ne, Kurosaki," she chipperly called.

"Hmm?"

"Scary movies are on tonight? Wanna watch?!"

"Mmm."

"...?"

"..."

"..."

_Control, control... _she thought, clenching her fist. After all, he was hard at work trying to figure out who the Fake DAISY was, of course he'd be too busy and distracted to focus on his girlfriend, who he LOVED and she really just wanted to spend a _little _bit of time with him and was that too much to ask after an ENTIRE FREAKING MONTH of this? HUH?!

**BAM! **Teru rammed her head into the wall, causing a dent in the wall. "I'm being bad, he's just trying to keep us safe, just chill out, never mind that you're suffering from affection withdrawl..."

She had tried EVERYTHING over the past week. Showing her bellybutton, doing extremely loud karaoke, trying to scare him, but to no avail. When Kurosaki got working, he REALLY worked.

_Maybe he's a tsundere when it comes to work, too? _she mused.

Kurosaki suddenly got up.

"Ah! Movement!" whispered Teru excitedly. He wobbled past her, backtracking a few steps to glance at the dented wall.

"Was that there before?" he asked exhaustedly. He didn't wait for an answer; he walked into the bedroom, calling, "Lock the door when you leave. Night."

She didn't lock the door, but she did slam it awfully loud.

* * *

Today, Teru's plan of payback began.

Kurosaki had just finished up the investigation a couple days ago, and after spending all of yesterday sleeping and relaxing, he was over visiting.

Or at least, he was trying to.

Because, you see, Teru was busy doing homework.

(To be honest, this wasn't just part of her plan. She had a huge amount to do, and she had been too distracted with all the DAISY stuff for the past month that she had fallen behind. But she DID plan on putting off working on it until Kurosaki came. It just ended up being more difficult and stress-inducing than she had anticipated.)

Kurosaki would glance at her, glance at the notebook she was writing in (which was still, unhappily, too blank for either's taste), glance at the clock, sigh, and repeat.

She had to stifle a smile.

"Maaan," she groaned in all honesty a few minutes later, noticing with a bit of delight that Kurosaki seemed to perk up like a puppy when she spoke, "why did they even _invent _quadratic formulas?"

"Do you need help?" he asked gruffly, obviously attempting (and failing) to hide his excitement.

"No, no, I'm good, thanks."

"...Oh."

Compared to Kurosaki, Teru had the patience of a saint. He, however, having now experienced ten minutes of the agony Teru suffered from over the course of an entire month (and it wasn't as though he hadn't wanted to see her during that entire month, thank you. He wasn't heartless, despite what he wanted her to believe in the beginning!) was starting to give up. In fact, he thought he would break in about 3...

2...

He actually beat his own expectations when he stood, flipping the table over dramatically as he cried, "You know what? Screw it, I can't take this anymore!"

Teru had not expected this much of a reaction, especially not this soon. "A-ano..."

He pulled her up with his old aggressiveness, and she dumped her pencil and calculator on the floor. The moment his lips met hers anxiously, desperately, assertively--he wanted her to know that he was _here_, and did she know how long he had been waiting for the month to end so he could really talk with her without worrying that doing so would distract him from the mission?--she forgot all about the crap he had to put up with.

Upon receiving a slight, embarrassed response, he picked her up bridal-style. Didn't she say once that she didn't expect him to carry her like a princess? Well, he was going to change that. He hadn't realized how much he missed her until he allowed himself to truly think about her yesterday, and her face had haunted his dreams.

He dumped her onto the couch, but made sure it wouldn't hurt her or be uncomfortable. He then leaned over, putting his arms on both sides of her so his head was directly above hers.

"I'm guessing you're only trying to get back at me," he said after a few moments of silence.

Teru opened her mouth in protest, but Kurosaki continued, his eyes never once leaving hers.

"And I'm sorry. I noticed you really messed up the wall. You must've been really upset."

She finally found her voice. "E-eheh, yeah, I was a little irritated."

He grinned, and she thought it very similar to the almost-dangerous smiles he wore when they first met. "And did you really think I didn't want you around all that time?"

"...A little..."

His grin grew. "Fine. I'll make up for it starting now."

Teru didn't know why, but she found herself saying, "Homework..."

"...Can wait," Kurosaki finished, leaning in and claiming her lips once more...

...Until he realized that Andy was hiding under the couch cushions, peering out with his glasses gleaming between two cushions.

How they hadn't realized he was there, and how Teru didn't notice that the couch was especially lumpy, was beyond him.

He supposed it was because they were both pretty distracted.

He picked up a confused Teru, set her gently on the floor, and loomed over the couch, his almost-dangerous smile becoming extremely frighteningly calm.

Andou, realizing Kurosaki had spotted him, said, "I wanted to make sure nothing inappropriate was going to happen between my prize pupil and my employee--"

Realizing the couch was (sort of) talking, Teru screamed and clung to Kurosaki, which the latter did not mind except for the fact that she was frightened. _That _only fueled his anger.

He wrapped one arm around her and then cracked his knuckles. "Any last words?"

Teru wondered how on earth they had gotten into this predicament, and how it could possibly be legal for a school chairman to try to peep on a neglected couple making out.

**Prettyinpinkgal: Well, that was bipolar. I meant it to be 2 brief little vignettes or drabbles, but they ended up not being so cute and then kinda passionate and then just plain weird. Sorry guys. I must be out of it from the two choir concerts on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend.**


	15. Encounters

************

**Prettyinpinkgal: This little idea's been going through my head for ages. I'm excited to finally write about it! I love the idea of their first meeting. I hope I do it justice! I had so many issues with Document Manager that I'm not even going to bother trying to edit it. The thing kept deleted my text and font preferences TT So I really hope it's decent. In other news, thank you all so, so much for all your support! More than 60 reviews! YES! (pumps fist in air)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DD.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Encounters**

The first time they met was on a stormy day, much like the day when her brother's funeral was held.

Teru could only sit and cry, as if her tears wanted to mimic the unrelenting rain pounding the rooftop.

Teru was usually a very strong girl. She was sometimes bullied for being poor, but she had learned how to take it. She sometimes longed to have more friends, but she treasured the ones she did have. She sometimes wished she was able to buy a new CD by the band she liked, but she learned to be content and smile. She learned to be fine with having no parents, because she was fine as long as she had Onii-chan.

"Onii-chan," she whispered hoarsely, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears streamed down.

She had no one now. No one. Her friends had come by earlier, trying to comfort her, but she couldn't stand it. Instead, she put on a brave face and tried to act normal and relatively happy. Eventually, they gave up and went home, but not before looking back sympathetically at the poor girl. Kiyoshi, especially, seemed worried, and he told her he'd do whatever he could to help her.

But they couldn't possibly understand. They had families. And they had other friends, too. They weren't as loathed as she was. And there was another reason why she couldn't open up to them: It was because she knew that if she poured out her pain and anguish to them, they might distance themselves from her. She was afraid that she'd cling so much, they would leave her, too.

As a rumble of thunder resounded overhead, she turned her gaze towards her dresser. Upon it lay the cell phone Onii-chan had left her. He had told her to talk to DAISY, whoever that was. Wasn't DAISY the name of a flower in English? Did that mean the person was a girl? Or maybe...maybe Onii-chan had used it as a nickname, since blue daisies were her favorite flower.

"He wouldn't understand," Teru muttered, wiping her eyes. "Besides, even if he did understand--I mean, he must've been Onii-chan's friend if Onii-chan recommended him, so maybe he's hurting too? In that case, I shouldn't worry him. He's sad, too."

But...

* * *

Kurosaki Tasuku was not one to wallow--or so he liked to think. But he could not help but allow a few tears to slip out as he thought of his friend's death, and his final words to him. But the worst part was knowing he had to be in contact with his sister. How was she doing, anyway? Was she eating enough? She wouldn't do anything...stupid, would she?

He was genuinely concerned, and not just because Sou had made him promise to look after him. The poor kid was only a third-year in middle school, wasn't she? It was too cruel. She didn't have one bit of family left.

Despite his concern, he didn't even know how to talk to her. Should he be super-nice? But maybe that'd be too condescending. If he went the other way, though, he'd be too gruff.

But it didn't matter how he talked to her. She hadn't even contacted him yet, anyway.

He supposed he could take the initiative. He could contact her; Sou had programmed her number into his phone. But would he sound too condescending? But if he went the opposite way, he'd be too gruff, and that would be no good. It didn't matter how he was in real life; this kid had just lost the last bit of family she had. He had to be there for her, promise or no promise. Still...

"Plus, you know I suck at talking to girls, Sou," he said wryly as he wiped his eyes. Sou had always teased him for it.

As the storm raged outside, his torment ended by the sudden sound coming from the phone. He picked it up, noticing that it read, **Incoming Message from Teru K.**

Dear DAISY,

I'm guessing Onii-chan explained this whole thing with you, right? I'm guessing you probably know why I'm messaging you, and who I am. And I'm sorry; I'm sure I'll sound like a bratty, self-pitying girl. You don't even have to reply. I'll just send this one message. You can delete it if you want to.

Um, maybe I should introduce myself properly. I'm sorry, I can't really think of anything to say. I'm Kurebayashi Teru. I'm fifteen, and I go to Seishou Junior High. My best friend in the world is my friend Kiyoshi. I'm sort of a tomboy in some ways, but Onii-chan always tried to get me to dress up cutely. He's weird like that, isn't he? Oops. I mean "was".

I'm scared, DAISY. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to hear about moving on and embracing life again and all that stuff my friends have been telling me. I love my friends, and I'm sure they're scared for me, but I can't--

I'm sorry, this was a stupid idea. I don't know what Onii-chan was telling me. I shouldn't treat you like you're him. I'm sure you were my brother's friend, right? So you must be in plenty of pain as well. I'm sorry, but thank you for this opportunity to email you just once.

Teru.

Kurosaki found he was reading the text for the fifteenth time 2 minutes later. She was endearing, this girl, and he could tell that she was trying so hard to be brave and carry this burden on her own. And she was so friggin' nice about this whole thing! "I'm sure you were my brother's friend, right? So you must be in plenty of pain as well. I'm sorry"? Really? What sort of crap was that?! He had killed her brother!

He felt himself sorely tempted to start crying again, but he held himself back. He needed to message her back. He had to let her know that he was here. He wouldn't be going anywhere. Somehow, this feeling went beyond caring for a dead friend's sister. There was something more to this...

Kurosaki Tasuku was not one to wallow--or so he liked to think. But he couldn't help it. Even he, normally stoic and cool despite being merely 23-years-old, couldn't help but let a few tears slip. He couldn't help brooding over Sou's last words. And what made it worse was that he knew someone was suffering far more than him, or even the old hag. He wondered how she was doing. Was she eating enough? She wouldn't do anything...stupid, would she?

He glanced at his cell phone. He knew she was in middle school--she was a third year, wasn't she?--and Sou had treasured her. What could he say? What could he possibly say to her?

* * *

Teru laid on her bed, her cell phone in hand, trying to kill the desperate hope that DAISY would text her back. But before she could, her phone vibrated, and she slid off her bed, leaning on it as she began reading who the messager was.

DAISY.

Her heart began pounding as she fumbled with the phone to open it. Would he be mad? Would he tell her to suck it up? Would he be too nice, and give the usual condolences? He must've been annoyed by that message. Anyone would, right?

But he wasn't.

Dear Teru,

I was relieved to get your message. I have been waiting for a long time now, but I was worried you wouldn't allow me to help carry your burden. Your brother entrusted you to me, a privilege I don't deserve, but I hope to do the best I can to help you smile again.

I'm afraid I can't tell you who I am or give any sort of introduction, for various reasons. I realize I must sound like a very shady character, and truthfully, I'm worried _you _won't message _me _back. But I'll give this a shot. Please know that I'll always be there for you. This is not out of just obligation for your brother's last wish. I genuinely hope you'll be able to walk forward. I know your brother will always be close to your heart, but I hope you can someday look back at the happy times and not always be sad.

Don't worry about being annoying or anything. I promise, I won't ever get annoyed with you. You can tell me anything. Just please, don't keep it bottled up.

So don't cry, not because I want you to pretend to be strong, but because you're not alone. I'm here. I'll always be by your side. No matter what happens, I'll protect you. I'll always be here. I'm not going anywhere.

DAISY

Teru clutched her cell phone to her chest, crying again--not out of misery, but out of sheer relief. "Oh, good," she whimpered after a hiccup. "Oh, good! You're just who I hoped you'd be! DAISY, thank you...thank you..."

* * *

He waited impatiently for her reply. Would she reply? He really wouldn't blame her; some guy she never met, saying he'll always be there?

"Sou, you idiot!" he cried, comical tears in his eyes as he flung his hands up in exasperation. "How's this supposed to work?!"

Then he got her message, and he fairy flung himself over the couch to get to his phone.

Dear DAISY,

Thank you so much. I trust you. Don't worry. I'm definitely going to be doing my best from here on out. Thank you. I think you saved me just now. I'm so happy! Deep down, I had hoped you'd be a really good person, but you're much better than I ever expected. Please treat me kindly.

Teru.

* * *

Many, many messages later, when the days had turned to weeks, and weeks to months, Kurosaki received his first picture of her.

She had said in the message, "This is me finally smiling for real. Thank you for everything, DAISY! Please continue to watch over me."

He saw how happily she was smiling. Her dark eyes sparkled. And he knew, despite how small she looked (in a lot of ways), she was probably one of the most mature people in his acquaintance.

"Oooh? What are you smiling about?" Master asked, trying to peer over Kurosaki's shoulder.

Kurosaki closed his phone hurriedly. "Nothing! Nothing at all! Shouldn't you be attending to your customers instead of bugging me?!"

Master grinned. "No one else is here, Tasuku. So, was that Teru-chan? How's she doing? It'd be nice to meet her sometime."

Kurosaki's eyes softened. "She's doing well, especially now that Andou approved that special scholarship."

"Tasuku," Master tried again. "I'm sure Sou didn't...I'm sure it'd be fine to meet her just once..."

"You know that's impossible. Sou didn't want me to give away my identity. There's no other way to interpret his words. Besides, if she got involved with us, she might find out what we did...and still do."

The older man nodded, going back around the counter. "Having her involve with a group of hackers...that's true; she might be put in even more dangerous situations. We already had to take care of a few instances where they tried getting a hold of her and that cell phone."

Kurosaki massaged his temples. "Yeah. For now, we can only watch from the...shadows..."

Master, who had been drying a glass, looked up at him, then turned to see what "DAISY" was looking at. In the window, a girl with Teru's medium-length hair, held back in a barrette, walked by.

She was rather cute.

Master looked back, and saw that Kurosaki's eyes were almost glazed-over.

Then the door opened, and they both jumped.

"Um, excuse me!" Teru cried, helping some kid with glasses into the store. "Don't worry, we're not here to drink! It's just...my friend needs to rest..."

"Rest" their butt. The kid looked in pain.

"Is he alright?" Master asked worriedly, having no idea that this was the treasured Kurebayashi Teru.

Teru helped the boy sit in a booth, but he laid down instead. "Um, yes, he will be. We just had a little...issue...Do you have a glass of water, sir?"

"Just a moment."

"Thanks!"

Kurosaki watched as Master handed her the glass, and she began dabbing her handkerchief in the drink, pressing it to the kid's beat up face afterwards.

"Teru..." the kid muttered after Teru had finished.

Master threw Kurosaki a look. The latter only nodded in reply.

Teru took the kid's hand in her own. "Kiyoshi, hang in there! Don't die!"

"Thank you...for everything..."

Master got the phone in case he needed to call 911.

"You will always be my dear friend, Kiyoshi," Teru said, clutching his hand.

"That's good. Now, can we quit the act? We're acting like we're in some crappy drama."

"I thought a little humor would cheer you up," she said chipperly, striking her classic pose.

"You thought wrong."

"Oh...I feel sorta sad now."

Master murmured to Kurosaki after he put the phone away, "She's a little stranger than I pictured her. But then, she's Sou's sister."

Kurosaki nodded silently, not taking his eyes off her.

Master shrugged, smiling slightly to himself, then asked Teru, "How about you tell us exactly what happened?"

Teru hesitated, then laughed tensely. "Yeah, well, we're not the most-liked kids at school. Stuff like this happens. But we're tough; we'll deal with it. It's only a few more weeks until we graduate from middle school anyway; I'm sure high school will be nicer."

Now, Master knew which high school Teru would be going to. And he also knew it was notorious for being cruel towards scholarship students.

As Kiyoshi began to recover, Kurosaki said, "Hey, brat."

Teru and Kiyoshi looked over, confused and insulted. _Which brat does he mean? Wait, more than that, should he have any right to call us brats?_

"Hang in there," Kurosaki finished, his eyes on only Teru.

Teru stared at him confusedly. "Um, yeah. Thanks."

When the kids left, Master said worriedly, "Well, I wanted to meet her, but not like this. And it'll be only worse for her in high school. But it's not like we'll be able to do anything about it. It's not like cracking codes..."

Kurosaki kept staring at the door. "Didn't Andou say he needed a janitor...?"

_"So don't cry."_

_"I'm always here."_

_"I'll protect you."_


	16. Dating: Graduation

**Prettyinpinkgal: I'm trying to get myself back in the swing of writing now. Ages have gone by since I've written anything, fanfiction or original. Oh, and some fantastic news: MY NOVEL IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE! Go to alyssabcole[dot]webs[dot]com, click on Novels, then click on "Under the Flag of Stars and Stripes". Sign up for Createspace, and bam! You can buy a copy of my book! XD Kyaaa! I hope you all enjoy it! I just had my first sale yesterday, I'm so excited! Hopefully I get some more tonight! In the meantime, enjoy this completely cliche and sappy oneshot!****  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DD.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**DATING: GRADUATION**

It was during the last recitation of the school song that Teru realized she was never coming back.

As her voice came out loud and clear, her eyes began to water. She stood next to her friends as the notes grew harder to sing.

_Keep it together, _she thought; _imagine Kurosaki's hearing you sing and is comparing it to cats screeching, then throwing up, then dying a slow, agonizing painful death._

It helped a little, but not nearly enough.

Kiyoshi looked over at her. "Teru? Is something--?"

He didn't need to ask, as she was clutching his sleeve with an ugly face as she tried very, very, very hard not to cry.

"You can cry if you want to," he said kindly.

She shook her head vigorously, still valiantly attempting to sing.

This was the last time she would be standing with her friends like this. Well, sure, they'd be going to the same college, but still! No more school uniforms...

No more beating the chairman up when he showed up in creepy places...

No more eating lunch with Riko-san in her office...

_No more seeing Kurosaki..._

She was being ridiculously overdramatic, she knew, and she wanted to slap herself for being such a sap, but so much had happened over the past three years, and, quite honestly, she had felt like nothing would ever change. And what made her hate her behavior even more was the fact that she lived with Riko-san, and Kurosaki was just next door, and she was sure she'd see that nasty chairman at Master's restaurant, but it wouldn't be the same.

They gave a final bow, and the students exited the room; some cried, while others laughed excitedly. Amid the rush, Teru lost track of her friends. She searched, almost desperately, but they were gone.

She was alone.

Her hands curled into fists, and she ran past Riko's empty office, past her abandoned classroom, and towards the entrance to the backyard.

It was the place where she had first begun working for Kurosaki, and where she had slaved often for her cruel protector.

She leaned against the tree and slid down to the ground. A tiny smile played on her lips as she looked up at the leaves. "He really sucks at trimming trees."

The melody which had become so dear to her echoed in her head as she softly sang, "If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me...time after time..."

She took out her phone and wrote:

_DAISY _(for she still addressed him in the opening as DAISY in her emails; it was just easier, even though they had long ago confessed their love--and he, his identity)

_I'm starting to feel very nervous for graduation. I don't want things to change. Usually, when things changed, they changed for the worse. I'm afraid my friends and I will drift apart. And it won't be the same not seeing you guys. What was college like for you, Kurosaki? Was it scary?_

_Teru._

She always hated emailing him like this, especially now that they were being honest about everything. It was embarrassing.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, which shocked her. Didn't it take longer than that to text a response?

But no, his email was only a brief sentence:

_Where are you?_

She began texting her reply, but stopped when she heard him faintly call, "Teru!"

Looking up, she saw him sprinting over, panting as small beads of sweat bounced off his skin.

"Uwah! That was quick!" she cried, a bit startled. She wondered if he was some sort of superhuman.

He stood in front of her, his eyebrow raised. "Haah? I was already looking for you when you didn't show up with everyone else."

Teru blushed faintly at this, and she smiled. "Thank you."

"So," he began, holding out his phone, "what's all this about?"

Teru shrugged. Now that he was here, she felt so childish. "Just a little nervous, I guess. I'll be okay once college starts, probably." She hoped so, at least.

Kurosaki sat next to her and leaned against the tree, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "Probably," he said vaguely. "I only went to college for a year before I joined Sou's company, but it seemed alright. I didn't really study very much, though."

"Eeeh? So you kept up with your delinquent appearance, huh?" Teru said teasingly.

"Shut up, brat."

They remained silent for a few minutes, with the high-school graduate snuggled next to her surprisingly kind boyfriend. Somehow, she mused, he could always make her feel better, even if he said very little (which, for Kurosaki, was rare).

"Teru-chaaaan!"

Teru could have sworn she heard Kurosaki grumble, "Che!" while she lifted her head to see Riko-san, Master, and the chairman walking towards the couple.

The two stood, and Teru was bombarded by congratulatory remarks, hugs, hair-ruffles, and the chairman's awkward snuggling (which ended soon after it began, due to the three other adults glaring threateningly at Andou. In order from least-evil look to most: Master, Riko-san, and Kurosaki). They went to the front of the school, where Teru joined her other graduating friends.

"Was something wrong?" Riko asked Kurosaki.

"She's worried about college."

"What did you say?"

"That she'll probably be alright once college starts up."

Master chuckled. "True, true."

Kurosaki took out his cigarette and smiled.

* * *

This was it. The first day of college. Teru donned a nice but casual top and skirt, a bit of makeup, and her daisy necklace. In her bag, she placed her dear cell phone.

As she walked out of the bedroom, she nearly jumped out of her skin as flashes went off. When she regained her composure, she realized it was Riko-san cheerfully taking pictures, with Kurosaki sitting at the table, telling her to knock it off; it was annoying. However, he couldn't seem to take his eyes of Teru, which made her excitedly cheer in her mind, _Victory! _like she always did when she got him to act like he was really in love with her.

Laughing, she told Riko-san, "I'm off!"

"Hold on! We're coming with you, Teru-chan!" Riko exclaimed.

"Eh? You don't have to. I know my way there."

"It's fine. I'm driving us there, anyway," Kurosaki said, getting up and walking towards his shoes by the door.

"You are?" This was rare. But he really was acting sweeter since they started going out, so maybe it was now normal for him to be so helpful?

Riko sat in the back, keeping a disconcerting eye on Kurosaki and Teru's interactions, which made the couple a bit frazzled. Still, the ride was rather peaceful, and Teru found she was no longer nervous.

She once again found herself confused, however, when Kurosaki parked and he and Riko followed her towards the campus. "Really...this is okay...you're starting to scare me..." she said, inching away slightly.

Riko grinned. "Surprise!"

"...Eh?"

"We're going to be working here from now on!"

"...Eh?"

"I'm the new janitor, and Riko-baa-chan is going to be working as a councelor here," Kurosaki explained with a smirk.

Riko turned slowly towards him. "Who's a 'baa-chan'?"

Kurosaki looked away. "I meant another person. There's another councelor here. Please forgive me for the mistake..."

"You better be grateful I'm in a good mood. So, what do you think, Teru-chan? Is this a good surprise?"

Her "big sister" and her boyfriend, working at her school again? A grin bloomed on Teru's face, and she squealed with giddiness as she pummeled the two with a hug. Some things, she decided, would not change.


	17. Burn

**Prettyinpinkgal: This is based off of Chapter 24, page 30, as well as the end of the chapter. You might want to read that before reading this drabble/oneshot :)****  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Burn**

Kurosaki, after Teru had finally stopped crying, held her as tightly as she was clinging to him. Honestly, why did she have to go through this? She didn't deserve it. And here she was, confessing to sinning, when she was the purest girl she knew. And she believed herself tainted? Impossible. It didn't matter that she thought Mori deserved to die; her lamentations now showed her heart was still caring and sweet. And truthfully, he didn't know if he really believed that Teru hadn't cared if Mori was killed. Chances were, she had had a gut feeling that she shouldn't help her out.

If only he could tell he that Mori was part of the plot! But no, not yet; he needed to put all the pieces together before he told her.

Although with the poor girl clinging to him so desperately, so desolately, it was freaking hard not to. Especially when he knew how difficult bearing sins could be.

Gradually, Teru began to sit up and away from Kurosaki (much to his secret displeasure).

"Are you alright now?" he asked.

She gave a bitter half-smile. "Yeah, I guess. It's Mo...Kurosaki, what happened to your hand?"

He looked at it confusedly, then remembered and saw the burn.

_"If you hurt my princess...this faithful servant will not know what he'll do next."_

Frazzled, he wondered, _Where did those cool words come from? And his burn really does freaking hurt!_

Wiping her eyes, Teru grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her. She looked at the burn and frowned. "What's this from?" she demanded.

"Uh, the cigarette slipped."

"Honestly! You're such an idiot! Did you even treat it afterwards?" She got up and called, "I'll be right back!" as she ran out the front door, not even bothering to put her shoes on. Minutes later, she returned with a safety kit.

"I figured you wouldn't have one, so I got it from my place." She immediately began treating the wound, and a bewildered Kurosaki, wondering how the heck the situation had changed so drastically, could only let her work in silence.

"Hey," he finally said, once he recovered his voice, "isn't this what you're supposed to do immediately after you burn yourself?"

"Hmm? Yeah."

"The burn happened hours ago. Does this even work on burns that old?"

Teru paused, then looked at him with such a blank expression, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I...don't really know. I've never heard what you do after the burn happens."

"Eeeeh? What's that? And who was the idiot, exactly?" Kurosaki sneered, pulling her cheek, making her flail about.

When the flailing abruply ended, Kurosaki let her go in surprise. Teru was staring at him in shock with glassy eyes, and she was at first a little worried she'd cry again. But he could always understand her, and he had a feeling her thoughts went a little like this:

_"He's going to stay by my side. He's not going to leave. He doesn't hate me."_

Kurosaki put a hand on top her head. "What's with you all of a sudden? Come on, I'll go make us some popcorn. We can watch a drama."

"Let's watch the bird movie!" Teru demanded, raising her hand stiffly in the air once she recovered enough to act silly as usual.

"You fell asleep last time!"

"That's why I want to see it! I wanna know what happens!"

"Look, brat, _I'm _the one who lives here, and _I'm _the one who decides what we watch!"

"Bald janitor!"

"Flatchested brat!"

"Whadja say?"

"You heard me!"

"You look like the kind of person who would try and see girls in short sports skirts!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEH! HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT? WAS IT THE OLD HAG? IT WAS HER, WASN"T IT! IT WAS A JOKE! JUST A JOKE! THAT'S ALL! I'M NOT A LOLICON!"

The awkward silence that reigned between them made it difficult for Kurosaki to breathe. He remained in mid-pose, arm stretched out from trying to desperately explain, while Teru stared at him with a completely disturbed expression from the couch.

"...Burn your hand again, you lolicon," she finally said, leaving the apartment once again.

"OI! Wait up! Teru, you completely misunderstood! Oi! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SERIOUS ONESHOT THIS TIME!"

**Prettyinpinkgal: Wah wah waaaaaah. And Kurosaki's right, this was supposed to be a serious installment. This is the ending I come up with from writing from 7-8:30 AM? Sigh.**


	18. Discovery

**Prettyinpinkgal: This is dedicated to talkstoangels77, who requested this oneshot, as well as another I'll start soon. Thanks for the requests! It's perfect timing, actually; I've been wanting to write another installment, but I couldn't think of anything! XD**** This is a bit more drabble-ish. Hope you enjoy it! It was hard finding a balance between investigating Teru's emotions and reporting what was going on; everything happened so quickly in the manga, so I didn't want it to seem like it was taking a longer time than it did.  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Discovery**

"Are you sure you don't want me to send you off?"

Teru glanced at Kurosaki, trying to calm her heartache. "Yep. Riko-san said she'll be right near here."

His face was indecipherable and blank, as if he refused to allow any emotions to show. He simply lit another cigarette.

Teru recalled his words the night before. "So...is it really true that I can come over here again?"

Unimpressed, Kurosaki replied, "Didn't I already tell you that you can? I mean, come over here as soon as you can. I don't want to do the cleaning..."

Somehow, this once again calmed her, and she beamed brightly. Grabbing her bags, she said, "Then, thank you for taking care of me all this time. I've bothered you a lot."

"Okay."

And with that, she left.

Automatically, she felt as though a part of her had been torn away, but she again recalled his demanding her to visit as soon as possible, and she couldn't help but smile again.

_That's right, _she thought, relieved. _We can still go back. It's not like things will be that different. It'll give me something to look forward to, anyway._

It was then that she noticed the boxes being moved into the apartment next door.

And Riko-san winking at her.

"I saw an ad in the paper for this apartment," she informed the shocked Teru. "I couldn't just tear you away from him, now could I?" In a lower tone, as Teru most likely wasn't listening that intently by this point, "Although I enjoyed seeing his heartbroken face. Still, I like you better than him, so I won't break your he...Teru?"

By this point, Teru had completely blocked Riko-san out, and she was bursting through the door to Kurosaki's apartment. _I don't need to leave! We can still be together!_

"Kurosaki! So, yeah, excuse me for intruding."

"THIS CAN'T BE POSSIBLE! NO MATTER HOW YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE!"

He was standing in the exact same spot as where she had last seen him.

Perhaps he had been more affected by her leaving than he had let on?

Plus, his face seemed to have reddened a bit...

This thought thrilled her even more, and she went on to talk about all the things she needed and would return. In two seconds.

As she ran to steal some supplies from Kurosaki's apartment, while he duked it out with Riko-san, she almost skipped as she thought of how close she'd be to the one she loved most.


	19. Song

**Prettyinpinkgal: This is dedicated to talkstoangels77, who also requested this oneshot. Hope you like it! I'm sorry for the delay; I had much of it typed up, but stupid Document Manager didn't save it, so I kind of boycotted writing for a while XD I'm afraid the end result won't be very satisfactory, I'm really sorry for that! TT****  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Song**

Teru wanted to freaking _die_.

And it wasn't because she heard it was going to rain that day.

Oh, no, dear reader; it was because Riko-san was screwing around and mentioned to Kurosaki last night at Master's that Teru-chan had a crush on someone.

It had been a perfectly nice evening-as nice as it could be, with Kurosaki and Riko-san duking it out as Master sighed and Teru watched with a little amusement. She was slurping up her ramen, eyes on the clashing duo, when Riko-san suddenly stopped and smiled slightly.

Kurosaki, out of reflex, took a step back and held out his hands, as though they were enough to protect him from whatever attack Riko was going to throw at him.

Riko-san winked at Teru, which made her blink in confusion, and said to Kurosaki, "Ne, ne, wanna here something good, Tasuku? Teru-chin has a crush on someone."

Teru spat all her noodles out at poor Master's bald head.

Kurosaki couldn't move. He just stood there. What was going through his mind, Teru had no clue. However, Riko-sama knew exactly: _"She's evil. Pure evil. I'm not even supposed to KNOW about that! Although, it's not like I'm complaining about her feelings. I mean, I guess I could deal." _During the latter part of this thought, he began blushing profusely, and he began trying to hide the smile which was forming.

"A-ah, is that so? I didn't know you were so girly, Teru," he said without looking at her, scratching his face awkwardly as he tried to turn back into a proper tsundere.

"I-I can be girly! I'm very feminine!" she cried. "It's just expensive to be girly! Makeup, cute clothes...They all cost a lot!"

"That right?" Kurosaki replied, clearing his throat.

"Yeah!"

"Isn't he an older guy, Teru-chan?" Riko chirped.

That was enough. "RIKO-SAN PLEASE STOP IT PLEAAAAAASSSEEE!" she cried, stretching her hand out beseechingly.

Kurosaki, meanwhile, collapsed into a chair in pure exhaustion and downed some of his beer.

Teru ran out of the bar shortly afterwards, shaking her finger at a now-apologetic Riko, and she hadn't seen Kurosaki since.

And now, she was trudging up the hill to get to school, feeling like she was going to be sick. Kurosaki knew. He had to know. He was smart enough to figure it out.

She wanted to _diiieee_.

Rena actually stopped her briefly at the school entrance. "You, poor person! I refuse to allow scum such as yourself to pollute our beautiful facilities with such an ugly face!"

Instead of making a retort, Teru managed to scrunch her face up to form something which might be considered a highly-deformed smile. "Oh. Heh. Yeah. I know. I'm ugly. Nothing attractive about me whatsoever. I'd have to be a true idiot to even think I'd have a chance. No, more than that. I'm conceited. That's it. I was completely-OOF!"

This exclamation was a result of a fist colliding with the top of her head. She nearly collapsed, but the bully picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "Sorry," she heard Kurosaki say to the disturbed student council president. "She has work to do."

"Ah, no, that's fine..."

Moments later, Teru was thrown over Kurosaki's shoulder, and she landed with a thud. "Owowowowow...you really suck..."

"Yeah, I know. Now get to work. You need to do the weeding."

Teru dared to glance at him, and found that he was being completely normal. (He would later thank his lucky stars that he was such a freaking amazing actor. He amazed himself sometimes.) But hadn't he acted awfully strange last night? Perhaps he hadn't realized he was the one she was in love with. Then why had he acted so weird?

_...Wait..._

_...Wait!_

_Really?_

It was the only reason she could think of and hope for.

Kurosaki had been jealous!

Teru's logical side knew this to be highly unlikely, but there was still that 1% chance, wasn't there?

She giggled cheerfully, ripping the weeds out. She knew she was grasping at straws, but it was fun to imagine him caring so much about her. He gave her an bemused look as her giggling escalated, which made her realize she should act at least somewhat sane, even though she felt like a little kid who was sugar-high.

To keep herself normal, she sang a "Go Bald, Kurosaki" song, which she was sure could sell millions.

Perhaps she could go on living just a bit longer.


	20. Announcements

**Prettyinpinkgal: Thank you everyone for all your reviews! =D I will get back to replying to all them individually soon; I've been busy lately. -.-" But I thought I'd post this random bit quick. It's weird; consider yourself warned.****  
**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Announcements**

"Kurosaki! Look, look!"

The blonde janitor turned to see the object of his affections holding a book. "What is it, brat?"

The girl did her classic pose and declared, "Prettyinpinkgal has just purchased the North American release of 'Dengeki Daisy' a couple hours ago!"

Kurosaki grabbed the book from Teru. "Huh. She's probably just excited because she can now look at my hot face anytime." Which was partly true.

"I'm ignoring that. There's a lot of yellow, isn't there?"

Kurosaki tossed the copy back to Teru. "Yeah, but judging from Amazon's pictures of volumes 2 and 3's covers, they get better."

"True."

"Furthermore," Andou's voice piped up as he popped out of the bushes, "prettyinpinkgal has quite a few ideas for multi-chapter 'Dengeki Daisy' stories."

"Yep," Riko added with a wink, capturing Kurosaki in a headlock; "while it'll be a while until she can post them, since she wants to finish her other stories in progress first, she already has a few ideas."

Master joined the group. "Yes, it's true. One of which is a crossover with 'Oresama Teacher', about which she is crying-" He cleared his throat, and in a falsetto, cried, " 'OMG OT just got licensed at Anime Expo and is coming out in March YES! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!'"

"That was disturbingly well done," Kurosaki said, his hair frazzled.

Master merely coughed.

Andou pushed his glasses closer to his eyes and said, "She's also working on a 'what-if' story about if Teru had witnessed your fight with that creepy Takeda guy, Tasuku."

"...No. Aw, HECK, no! Alyssa, don't do it! I beg of you!"

Alyssa's voice echoed evily as she laughed.

"What fight?" Teru asked innocently.

"You'll find out," chirped Alyssa/prettyinpinkgal.

Kurosaki trembled, running his fingers through his hair. He quickly stopped, though, when he found clumps of hair sticking to his hand.

_"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Kurosaki woke with a start. "Just a dream, just a dream...Aw, crap, that sucked..."

His hair was indeed still connected to his head, but a sticky note was also stuck on his forehead. With shaking fingers, he grabbed the note and read it.

**"You only have until I finish the rest of my stories to live peacefully. Maybe not even till then."**

"GOSH DARN IT!"


	21. Gaze, Part II

**Prettyinpinkgal: The zombie has arrived, just in time for Halloween. I have been extremely busy with my original writing, work, school (two college classes plus high school classes equals STUPID MISTAKE. I AM NOT THAT SMART! STUPIDSTUPIDME!), and whatnot to even have inspiration to work on any sort of fanfiction. So I'm trying to get back into the swing of things by writing this. Thank you all so much for your patience, support, and understanding. I most likely will not be able to update much before 2011 arrives, but by then my college classes will be over, as well as NaNoWriMo and college apps will be sent in by then. I will try to update when I can before the new year, though.**

**The following drabble is based on what I just read of the summary for Chapter 40. Read at your own discrection. And to talkstoangels77, I can't remember what my reply to your review was, I might have said I would write it but I have found that I can't; I've already written a story very similar to that (see "Despair, Anguish, and Horror") for a different fandom, and I think I would just be reiterating what happened there, and that would not be fun for you to read. By all means though, use that idea and make your own story out of it! :) Sorry if I actually already said that. I feel like I did...**

**Also, I'm 18 now as of October 11. Yay! Which means I got several volumes of manga with gift cards I got, including DD Volume 2! Double yay!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DD. I do own the oneshot "Gaze" from the first chapter. Italicized words are words from that oneshot. I'm rather excited by how full-circle this ended up being.**

**TIME AFTER TIME**

**Gaze, Part II**

_Every time he rescued her..._

His breath came out in choking pants.

_Every time he laughed at her..._

How he wished to see her!

_Every time he held her..._

To hold her, to beg forgiveness, to make sure she was alright, to keep her safe until the world was the place she deserved to live in-that was all he wanted. Too much to ask, but so simple.

_Every time he emailed her..._

His fingers nearly crushed the phone in his hands, as though he could erase her message and erase the danger and fear.

_Every time he so much as looked her way..._

Necklace. Voice. Angel.

Their eyes met, numb with calm, honesty with lying contentment, sharp with sweet.

_But for this brief meeting of their eyes, she could convey all that she wished, all that she felt, and hoped he'd send her the same message..._

**I can be nowhere but with you.**


End file.
